Course Details
Distance skills are essential for handling an agility course with a faster dog, allowing the handler to get ahead on course and helping them clearly show the dog where it needs to go next. Verbal commands can be used to augment body language and are particularly useful when handling your dog at a distance. This course will introduce you and your dogs to some of the fundamental skills needed for distance handling.
Registration
There are no scheduled sessions for this class at this time. We update our schedule frequently, so please
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Registration begins at 9am PDT
Enrollment limits: Gold: 12 students, Silver: 25 students, Bronze: unlimited. If you are interested in bronze level, you can sign up any time during the registration period.
Syllabus
Curriculum by week
Week 1
a. Understanding distance and handler motion, handler focus and obstacle focus
b. Getting started with directionals: left and right in place.
c. Lateral leadouts
Week 2
a. Body language and sending mechanics: send to a jump / send to a tunnel
b. Change of direction "Get out"!
c. Driving a straightline – introducing a “Go on”
Week 3
a. Directionals : flat work with handler in motion
b. When to move, when to send. Timing is everything!
Week 4
a. Driving lines and redirection at speed
b. Using directionals with jumps and tunnel.
Week 5
a. Independent 180 / 270 jump patterns
b. Independent pinwheels
Week 6
a. Putting it all together - handling sequences to practice distance and independence.
Prerequisites and Equipment
Dogs should have some experience with jumps and tunnels....
Equipment needed : 3 jumps and a tunnel
